Taxonomy and Zoogeography of the Tetrigidae (Orthoptera: Tetrigoidea) of North Eastern India

212 Pages·1991·8.5 MB·English

by  Shishodia, M. S.

OCCASIONAL PAPER NO. 140
ecords of t e
Zoological Survey of India
rraXOllomic and Zoogeograph,y of the Tet.·igidae
(Ortb1optera : Tetrigoidea) of North Eastern India
M. S. Shishodia
Zoological Survey of India
RECORDS
OF THE
ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
OCCASIONAL PAPER NO. 140
TAXONOMY AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF THE TETRIGIDAB
(ORTHOPTERA: TETRIGOIDEA) OF NORTH EASTERN
INDIA
By
M. S. SHISHODIA
Zoological Survey of India, New Alipur, Calcuttq
~~
Edited by the Director, Zoological Survey of India
1991
© Copyright: Govemment of India, 1991
Published: December, 1991
Price : Inland: Rs. 100·00
FDreign : £ 5·00 S 8-00
Printed in India by A. K. Chatterjee at Inanodaya Press, SSB. Kabi Sukanta Sarani,
Calcutta 700 085 and pub]jslle~ by the-Director, Z~oloBical $grvcy of Ip4j~, ~~ttl.
RECORDS
OF THE
.-,
ZOOLOGICAL SUR VEY OF INDIA
Occasional Paper
No. 140 1991 Pages 1-198
CONTENTS
...
PREFACE [vii]
IlirRODUCTION 1
...
2
HISTORICAL REVIEW
S
MORPHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSTIC CHARACTERS
...
10
SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT
Key to the Subfamilies of the Family TETRIGIDAB 10
Subfamily I CLADONOTINAE 10
·. .
Key to the genera of the Subfamily CLADONOTINAE 10
· .
(1) Genus FIEBERIANA Kirby, 1914 , 11
.,.
1. F. pachymera (Fieber), 1845 11
(2) Genus EPlTETTIX Hancock, 1907 ". 13
2. E. elytratus GUnther, 1939 • •• 14
·.
Subfamily II SCELIMENINAE , 15
·.
Ke'y to the genera of the Subfamily SCELIMENINAE , 15
(3) Genus Scelimena Serville, 1839 ••• 16
K.ey to the species of SCELIMENA Serville 17
•••
3. S. discalis (Hancock), 1915 • •• 18
.. .
4. S. kempi (Hancock), 1915 20
·. .
5. S. india Hancock, 1907 22
(4) Genus Gunther, 1938 23
INOOSCEL~NA
6. 1. saussurei (Hancock), 1915 24
...
(S) Genus THORADONTA Hancock, 1906 2S
[ iv ]
·. .
Key to the species of Thoradonta Hancock 2'
·. .
7. T apiculata Hancock, 1915 27
·. .
8. T. nodulosa (Stal), 1860 29
·. .
9. T. pruthii GUnther, 1938 31
10. T. {ativertex GUnther, 1938 32
·. .
11 T bengalensis sp. nov. 34
(6) Genus CRIOTETTIX Bolivar, 1887 35
12. C. bispinosus (Dalman), 1818 36
(7) Genus EUCRlOTEITIX Hebard, 1929 38
Key to the species of Eucriotettix Hebard 39
13. E. pallidus (Hancock), 1915 39
14. E. dohertyi (Hancock), 1915 41
15. E. annandalei Hancock, 1915 43
16. E. grandis (Hancock), 1912 44
·. .
(8) Genus LOXILOBUS Hancock, 1904 46
Key to the species of Loxilobus Hancock 47
17. L. assamus Hancock, 1907 47
18. L. aculus Hancock, 1904 50
(9) Genus SYNALlBAS GUnther, 1939 51
...
Key to the species of Synalibas GUnther 52
19. S. vagans GUnther, 1939 S2
20, S. perplexus (Hancock), 1915 54
(10) Genus HEBARDTETTIX GUnther, 1938 56
Key to the species of Hebarditettix GUnther 57
21. H. triangularis (Hancock), 1915 57
22. H. quadratus (Hancock), 1915 ••• 59
23. H. [obatus (Hancock), 1912 60
·. .
Subfamily III METRODORINAE 62
Key to the genera of the Subfamily METRODORINAE • •• 62
(11) Genus SYSTOLEDERUS Bolivar, 1887 • •• 63
Key to the species of Systolederus Bolivar 64
• ••
24. S. gravely; GUnther, 1939 64
• ••
2S. S. cinereus Brunner, 1893 • •• 66
26. S. abbreviatum sp. nov. •• • 68
(12) Genus TEREDORUS Hancock, 1906 ••• 70
Key to the species of Teredorus Hancock ••• 70
27. T. bhattacharyai sp. nov. ••• 71
·. .
28. T. turT.catus sp. nov. 72
·. .
29. T carmichaeli Hancock, 1915 73
30. T. frontalis Hancock, 1915 75
..
(1-3) Genus BOLlV ARITEl TIX GUnther, 1939 , 77
[ v ]
·. .
Key to the species of Bolivaritettix GUnther 78
31. B. singlaensis (Hancock), 1915 79
32. B. tandoni sp. nov. 80
33. B. sculptus (Bolivar), 1887 82
34. B. sikkimensis (Bolivar), 1909 86
35. B. latieeps (Bolivar), 1909 87
36. B. dubius (Hancock), 1912 88
37. B. roonwali sp. nov. 90
38. B. ghumtianus (Hancock), 1915 92
39. B. lativertex (Brunner), 1893 93
(14) Genus XlSTRELLA Bolivar, 1909 94
Key to the species of Xistrella Bolivar 95
40. X. dromadaria Bolivar, 1909 95
41. X. siangensis sp. nov. 97
42. X. inermis (Hancock), 1915 99
43. X. arorai sp. nov. 101
(15) Genus XISTRA Bolivar, 1887 103
X. sikkimensis Hancock, 1915 104
4~.
(16) Genus HYBOELLA Hancock, 1915 105
Key to the species of Hyboella Hancock, 1915 106
45. H. nullipennis (Hancock), 1915 107
46. H. tumida (Hancock), 1913 109
47. H. conioptica Hancock, 1915 111
48. H. obesa Hancock, 1915 112
49. H. tentala Hancock, 1915 116
·
..
50. H. dilatata (De Haan), 1842 118
·
.
(17) Genus MIXOHYBOELLA gen. nov. , 121
51. M. srivastavai sp. nov. ••• 112
(18) Genus SPADOTEITIX Hancock, 1910 123
52. S. subansiriensis sp. nov. 124
·
.
Subfamily IV TETRIGINAE , 126
Key to the -genera of the Subfamily TETRIGINAE • •• 126
(19) Genus -TETRIX Latreille • •• 127
53.' T. bipunetata (Linnaeus), 1758 • •• 128
(20) Genus-EUPARATETTIX Hancock, 1904 • •• 129
Key to the· species of Euparatettix Hancock • •• 130
·. .
54. E. personatus (Bolivar), 1887 130
55. E. tenuis Hancock, 1912 133
56. E. histricus (Stal), 1860 135
(21) Genus PARATETTIX Bolivar, 1887 138
.
Key to the species of Paratettix Bolivar , , 139
[ vi ]
140
57. P hancockus (Shishodia & Varshney), 1987 ...
144
58. P. curtipennis (Hancock), 1912
146
59. P. cingalensis (Walker), 1871
148
60. P. hirsutus Brunner, 1893
150
61. P. rotundatus Hancock, 1915
lSI
62~ P. alatus Hancock, 191 5
152
63. P. tricarinatus Bolivar, 1887
154
(22) Genus Hedotettix Bolivar, 1887
Key to the species of Hedotettix Bolivar .. . ISS
64. H. costatus Hancock, 1912 .. . ISS
157
65. H. gracilis (De Haan), 1842
161
66. H. grossus Hancock, 1915
67. H. attenuatus Hancock, 1904 '" 162
164
(23) Genus COPTOTETTIX Bolivar, 18~7
Key to the species of Coptotetl;x Bolivar, 1887 ... 164
68. C. annandalei Hancock, 1915 16S
69. C. tuberculatus Bolivar, 1887 168
70. C. tricarinatus sp. nov. 169
71. C. conspersus Hancock, 1915 170
'i2. C. manipurensis sp. nov. 172
73. C. lohitensis sp. nov. 173
(24) Genus ERGATE1TIX Kirby, 1914 174
Key to the species of Ergatettix Kirby 17S
74. E. giintheri Steinmann, 1970 175
75. E. dorsifera (Walker), 1871 178
76. E. callosus (Hancock) 1915 180
Subfamily V BATRACHIDEINAB 182
(25) Genus SAUSSURELLA Bolivar, 1887 182
77. S. cornuta (De Hann), 1882 •.• 183
Zoogeography of North Bast India in relation to Oriental Fauna 18S'
SUMMARY ... 191
...
191
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
193
REFERENCES •••
."
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED 199
ALPHABETICAL INDEX 200
• I.
ERRATA ." 204
PREFACE
The members of the family Tetrigidae are popularly known as
-Grouse-Locusts". These are small to moderate sized orthopterans of
variable colour, but generally they are dark brown or brown or grey.
Their habits and habitats bring them in close c,ontact with the ground
or water and thus make them generally geophilous. They are commonly
found to occur in meadows or swamps, or on wet rocks along the sides
of streams and pools, while a few are found on or around the crops.
During this study a large number of specimens have been collected from
the fields of wheat, paddy, cabbage, maize, brinjal, etc., of Narendrapur
(West Bengal: 24-Parganas Distt.). There are a few reports about
them as pests. Most of the species of grouse-locusts are phototropic
and polymorphic. These orthopterans are readily recognised from the
other allied families of the order by the absence of arolium between the
tarsal claws and the backward extension of pronotum, which forms a
hood-like covering to the body.
iNTRODUCTION
Perusal of the literature shows that not much work on 'grouse
locusts' (Fam. Tetrigidae) has been done, particularly on the taxa
found in north eastern India. The only comprehensive work on this
group from the Indian region (including Sri Lanka and Burma) is that
of Kirby (1914) in the Fauna of British Ind~a, Orthoptera (Acridiidae).
The other important works from this region are Hancock (1906, 1912
and 1915), Bolivar (1918) and Hebard t1929). Gunther (1938, 1939) had
published a revisionary work on the group, except on the subfamilies
Tetriginae and Batrachideinae. Recently, Steinmann (1970) has made a
Check-List of the Oriental Tetrigidae, though incomplete (as it does
not contain full references to synonyms as well as the detailed distri
bution of the various species). The presently available keys are by
Kirby (1914) and Hancock (1915). which are quite old and obsolete.
So far as the Tetrigidae fauna of north eastern India (States of
West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal
Pradesh and Nagaland) is concerned, only occasional references are
found in the works of Kirby (1914), Hancock (1912, 1915) and GUnther
(1938, 1939).
Before the present work, a total of sixty eight species under
twenty five genera were known from this region, out of one hundred
twenty two species under thirty four genera reported from all over
India. despite the fact that North Eastern India is richest in fauna
in the whole of India. The author has earlier studied the Grylloidea
of N.E.P.A. (now Arunachal Pradesh) (Tandon & Shishodia, 1972). The
present work is based on the author's studies submitted to the Agra
University, Agra (Utter Pradesh), in 1981, on which the degree of Ph.D'.
was awarded (Shishodia, 1981) ...t \ppropriate updating has been made,
wherever necessary. This work is based on the coIle~tions made by the
author during last 20 years, as well as on other collections in the Zoolo
gical Survey of India.
Habit: Both the adult and immature forms of grouse-locusts are
known to feed on mosses and other forms of vegetation. Very little is
known about their economic importance, except one species is known
as a pest of cabbage in India. During the course of present studies a
large number of specimens were collected from the crop fields of wheat,
paddy, maize, brinjal and eabbage.
TT 1
2 REC. ZOOL. SURV. INDIA, Oce. PAPER No. 140
HISTORICAL REVIEW
The family Tetrigidae belongs to the order Orthoptera. Originally
this group was placed in the order Coleoptera by Linnaeus (1758).
Thunberg (1775) considered them as Hemiptera. Latreil1e (1793) erected
a separate order Orthoptera into which the Acridoidea and other un
related groups were placed. Later on Latreille (1817) divided the order
Orthoptera into two: Orthoptera-Cursoria (Walking Orthoptera) and
Orthoptera-Saltatoria (Jumping Orthoptera). Handlirsch (1908) divided
the order Orthoptera Latreille 1793 ( = Saltatoria latreille 1817), into
two suborders i.e., Locustoidea and Acridioidea, and the only family
included in the latter suborder was Acridiidae.
Ander (1939) divided the order Saltatoria into the suborders Bnsi. .
fera and Caelifera. In the suborder Caelifera was placed the short horn
ed grasshoppers. This division was unsatisfactory from the point of
view of morphology as well as phylogeny (Dirsh, 1975). Beier (1955)
established the superfamily Tetrigides as equal in rank to his Acridides
( == Acridoidea) consisting of the families Tetrigidae, Tridactylidae and
Cylindrachetidae. Dirsh (1961) has regarded Beier's superfamily Tetri
gides as the suborder Tetrigoidea, equal in rank to Acridoidea. The
taxon superorder Orthopteroidea was introduced by Bey·Bienko (1962).
His division was also far from satisfactory, because he had not taken
into account the important taxonomic characters, especially the structure
of genitalia.
Recently Dirsh (1973) raised the suborder Tetrigoidea to the rank
of the order, "Tetrigoidea". Since the suffix (foidea" is applicable to the
superfamily, its usage for the order creates confusion to the taxonomists.
So I am not following Dirsh (1973) and am using the taxon Tetrigoidea
for the superfamily.
Tetrigoidea can be easily recognised from the allied superfamily
Acridoidea by the following characters: the pronotum is-much elonga~
ed and covers the whole or a greater part of the abdomen; the elytra
are much shortened, scale like, while the wings are fully developed except
in the case of apterous species; the anterior and middle tarsi consist of
two segments and the posterior tarsus three segments ; claws of tarsi are
not provided with an arolium or intermediate pad; and the structure of
phallic complex-epiphallus and cingulum are absent, the penis is directed
towards the anterior end of the body and the whole phallic organ is
covered above with valves.
According to Walker (1919 : 285) Tetrigidae is more primitive
than Acrididae beeause of the absence of arolium, the extension of pro-